Supplemental Material, Firefighter suicide risk.

Background: Meaning in life and burnout demonstrate strong relationships to suicidal behaviors in civilian populations. Conversely, these factors have received almost no research attention in first responder samples despite this population’s elevated rate of death by suicide. Aims: This study sought to fill the gap in the literature regarding possible relationship between meaning, burnout, and suicidality in a sample of first responders. Method: Voluntary participation in a web-based survey by members of fire departments in and around a large, urban city. Study hypothesis was tested using correlational and Descriptive Discriminate Analysis methods. Results: High risk for suicide correlated more strongly to meaning in life (r = -0.402, p < 0.001) and burnout (r = 0.363, p < 0.001) than trauma exposure (r = 0.346, p < 0.001). Descriptive Discriminate Analysis supported using thwarted belongingness, meaning, and burnout as predictors of high suicide risk for suicide for firefighters. Conclusion: Our results support the inclusion of meaning and burnout into understanding elevated rates of first responder suicide. Clinicians are encouraged to include use of these for both assessing suicide risk, and also for treatment planning, when working with this at risk population.